Senators Unamused By Song

May 28, 1986|By Donna Blanton, The Orlando Sentinel

TALLAHASSEE -- A would-be Senate coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans held a Memorial Day party at a nearby farm where they sang an irreverent song poking fun at Senate President Harry Johnston and President- elect Ken Jenne.

Several senators said the party was arranged by Sen. John Vogt, D-Cocoa Beach. Attending were at least 15 senators, including Senate dean Dempsey Barron and Senate Republican leader Richard Langley.

Vogt, who hopes to wrest the Senate presidency from Jenne if a conservative coalition can be formed after the November elections, refused to talk about the party.

Senators questioned about the party said they didn`t know who wrote the ditty, which recounts Johnston and Jenne`s successful strike on Memorial Day weekend two years ago when they gathered enough pledges to secure Jenne`s presidency. The men have run the Senate ever since.

The song makes fun of Johnston`s bid for governor and his failed attempt to team up with Attorney General Jim Smith, who now is running for governor himself. Johnston since has named state Rep. Mark Gibbons, D-Tampa, the son of U.S. Rep. Sam Gibbons, as his running mate.

`` ... Harry looked at me with that funny-lookin` grin, said I`m gonna run for gov`nor and I`m gonna run with Jim/ But Jim had this habit `bout the changing of his mind, he`d rather be in front than tagging on behind/ Hup, two, three, four/ So he picked himself a young-un from the middle of the state, thought he`d use his daddy`s name `cause the boy was only bait/ Spent bushels on the TV, but the ticket wouldn`t sell/ When they tallied up the booty, he`d blown it all to hell. . . .``

Johnston and Jenne were not amused by the song.

``It`s childish,`` said Johnston. ``Grown men? Obviously they don`t have enough to do during the session.``